Tone of voice is an essential aspect of University of Limerick's digital style guide.
It defines how the University speaks to its audiences through digital channels, and it is crucial for creating a consistent and engaging brand personality.
Friendly, approachable and professional
The tone of voice for UL's digital communications should be friendly, approachable, and professional. It should reflect the University's values, which include innovation, creativity, and inclusivity.
The tone of voice should be inclusive of all audiences, including students, staff, faculty, alumni, and the wider community.
To achieve this tone of voice, UL's digital communications should avoid being overly formal or technical.
Instead, they should use plain language and avoid jargon or acronyms that might not be understood by all audiences.
Active voice
The communications should also be written in an active voice, using language that is positive, clear, and concise.
Example:
"The study was undertaken utilising a multi-modal methodological framework, incorporating quantitative data analysis techniques alongside qualitative inquiry, thereby facilitating the identification of emergent patterns and nuanced insights pertaining to the research phenomenon."
This sounds better when written like this:
"The study used a mixed-method approach, analysing both quantitative and qualitative data to identify patterns and gain insightful understanding of the research topic."
Using humour
Humour can also be used to create a friendly and approachable tone, but it should be used judiciously, and in a way that is appropriate for the content and audience.
Consistency
In addition to being friendly and approachable, the tone of voice for UL's digital communications should be consistent across all channels.
This includes the University's website, social media accounts, email communications, and any other digital materials produced by the institution.
By using these tone of voice guidelines, we can make our digital communications interesting, easy to understand and true to our brand's personality and values.